St. Landry democrat., 1887-09-24
DON CAFFERY'S SENTIMENTS.
His Stirring Address at the 0pelousas
Meeting.

Meeting.
A Practical Way of Handling Campaign
Issues
Among the speakers who addressed
the great Nichols meeting at Opelousas
on Sent. S was Mr.. Don Cattery of St.
Marv's parish, whose speech excited a
great deal of attention, and we'll sus-
| famed the hi gh reputa ton OF this gentle
man for elouuence. The speech was de-
liyered under difficulties, Mr.. Gallery
having driven that morning from La
fayctte to Opelonsas, but the fatigue
of the Journey did not appear to have
weakened in any manner the vlgor and
force of his oratory. 1t was an OFT
hand, lmpromptu address, prompted by
the occasion.
| lie said:
The mountaineering that I have
with the Nichols family ls of very
ancient origin. AS | started out from
the town of Lafayette this morning,
just as the first rays of the sun lllu-
minated the east with his morning
splendor, and as | rolled over those
beautiful savannas, through the ma
jestiC woods and over the magnificent
prair1es that stretch between here and
Lafayette. memories of early days
crowded upon my mind. Ever and
anon the subject matter of this cam
paign would obtrude itself and the
prominent and the conspicuous figure
Of that campaign was our gallant chief
tain, Francis T. Nichols. Then my
mind reverted to the earliest adnllra-
| ton of my boyhoou to he first man |
| ever learned 10 admire whilst yet IN my
teens. The first man for whom learned
| to have
/ AN EXALTED RESPECT
was the lamented Thomas Nichols,
| judge of The district COMPOSING the
parishes of st. Mary. St. Martin and
| Nermillon. He was loved wherever he
was known. and was especially consplc-
! nous for a pure uprl ghtness of Charac-
| ter, and when the people elected him to
| office every man, woman and child in
| the district knew that the judicial
ermine would never be dragged in the
mud by him; they knew
every respect equal to the dignity con-
terred upon him. The family of
Nichols IS a family known TO our peO-
| pie. The father of Judge Thomas
Nichols and the father of our present
candidate for governor was man dis
tingulshed in The Jurisprudence of this
state. There appears NOT blotch on
the family esCutCheon. When these
early reCoilecJlonS crowded upon me L
began to reflect that there was some
thing after all in heredlty; that there
was something in blood and III dis
tInguished ana honored name.
il0W-CItiZens, about Il decade ago
since then the silver has mlng!td with
the black in my hair-about a decade
ago | had the opportunity to appear be-
fore you, prior TO the nomination OF Cen
eral Nichols. On that occasion the audi
ence was graCed and olnamented by
the presence OF
LOVELY WOMEN
of this parish. On that occasion, when
we appealed to The men of this parish
to arm themselves for the desperate
struggle confronting them, to grid up
their loins for the contest with the ad-
VeTsary-an adversary backed up by
the bayonstS of the federal government
there was no more encouraging sign
or cheering Indictment for those who
had put on their armor and were going
to participate in that campaign than
the looks of appreciation and the en-
couraglng glances that shot from the
beautiful eyes Of the ladies then pres
emit, and | see the same grace and beauty
before me to-day.
Fellow citizens, while the perlls to-
day are not so great as they We're then,
the feeling has spread abroad in this
state that the integrity OF the Demo-
cratic party and the veal of this COM
monWealth, and the welfare of the peo-
pie, are involved in the struggle be-
tween the rival candidates for the gov
ernorshlp of this state.
l shall not attempt to go over the
details of the administration of Gov
e1nor Nichols. When my work was
done, when we had succeeded in placing
in the executive chair the gallant chief
tain whose banner We have again I'M
sion was completed. | had nothing TO
do with the details of the admlnstra-
Iion, for | was not member of the
state government IN any capacity. |
was simply spectator. But we all
knew that we tEen elected q man the
very soul and
INCARNATION OF TRUTH,
and we know that he has gwen no
evidence since that momentous pc
Rod that he ever varied one hairs
breadth from the living truth. He
has told you In the language
of the noble and modest hero that he
49, the story OF that contest which cul-
minated in the recognition of his gov
eminent. Is there single man in
Louisiana who has a reputation for
manhood that would dare say that this
statement is not rrnes Environed by
difficulties that would have swamped
or discouraged an ordinary man, urged
on by his friends to take iniudicious
steps, censured by his enemies camp
followers; there were lots of them in
disguise them, censured by his enemies
for not doing what they considered to
their advantage, threatened on the one
side by the federal power. and pressed on
the other by the opportunities of his peo-
pie, no remained calm and deliberate.
With an eye single to the welfare of
the people of the state, he guided her
ship safely into the harbor vi rest
through the breakers III its course.
There were other noble men who
belonged to his crew, and do not wish
to detract from the honor that belongs
to them, when | say that to Nichols
Is due the exalted praise, tho tran
scendent merit of leading his people
from the house of radical bondage to
the land of freedom. Why, we were
then thralls to the carpet-baggers.
Surrounded by what7 The power of
the government that had crushed our
freedom to pieces. Environed with
difficulties on every side, this calm
patriot with sagacity only equaled
by his mOdesty, with an answering
faith IN the justice of his cause, with
an abiding hope of ultimate success,
with beroism and calmness and
loyalty and patriotism that
have never been excelled, led us into
a position of absolute security and
safety. LApplause.l
What is 1t they say about him now?
There IS a lot of men who say that he
snapped off some appointments. Why?
With the view OF bringing into the
Nichols legislature certain members
Of the Packard legislature.
AT the time that Nichols led us, like
Moses. from the house of bondage, the
people OF this state were ready to make
most any